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Culbert BM, Ligocki IY, Salena MG, Wong MYL, Hamilton IM, Bernier NJ, Balshine S. Social regulation of arginine vasopressin and oxytocin systems in a wild group-living fish. Horm Behav 2024; 161:105521. [PMID: 38452613 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
The neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are key regulators of social behaviour across vertebrates. However, much of our understanding of how these neuropeptide systems interact with social behaviour is centred around laboratory studies which fail to capture the social and physiological challenges of living in the wild. To evaluate relationships between these neuropeptide systems and social behaviour in the wild, we studied social groups of the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher in Lake Tanganyika, Africa. We first used SCUBA to observe the behaviour of focal group members and then measured transcript abundance of key components of the AVP and OXT systems across different brain regions. While AVP is often associated with male-typical behaviours, we found that dominant females had higher expression of avp and its receptor (avpr1a2) in the preoptic area of the brain compared to either dominant males or subordinates of either sex. Dominant females also generally had the highest levels of leucyl-cystinyl aminopeptidase (lnpep)-which inactivates AVP and OXT-throughout the brain, potentially indicating greater overall activity (i.e., production, release, and turnover) of the AVP system in dominant females. Expression of OXT and its receptors did not differ across social ranks. However, dominant males that visited the brood chamber more often had lower preoptic expression of OXT receptor a (oxtra) suggesting a negative relationship between OXT signalling and parental care in males of this species. Overall, these results advance our understanding of the relationships between complex social behaviours and neuroendocrine systems under natural settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Culbert
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Isaac Y Ligocki
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA, USA
| | - Matthew G Salena
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marian Y L Wong
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian M Hamilton
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Nicholas J Bernier
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Bolton PE, Ryder TB, Dakin R, Houtz JL, Moore IT, Balakrishnan CN, Horton BM. Neurogenomic landscape associated with status-dependent cooperative behaviour. Mol Ecol 2024:e17327. [PMID: 38511765 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The neurogenomic mechanisms mediating male-male reproductive cooperative behaviours remain unknown. We leveraged extensive transcriptomic and behavioural data on a neotropical bird species (Pipra filicauda) that performs cooperative courtship displays to understand these mechanisms. In this species, the cooperative display is modulated by testosterone, which promotes cooperation in non-territorial birds, but suppresses cooperation in territory holders. We sought to understand the neurogenomic underpinnings of three related traits: social status, cooperative display behaviour and testosterone phenotype. To do this, we profiled gene expression in 10 brain nuclei spanning the social decision-making network (SDMN), and two key endocrine tissues that regulate social behaviour. We associated gene expression with each bird's behavioural and endocrine profile derived from 3 years of repeated measures taken from free-living birds in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We found distinct landscapes of constitutive gene expression were associated with social status, testosterone phenotype and cooperation, reflecting the modular organization and engagement of neuroendocrine tissues. Sex-steroid and neuropeptide signalling appeared to be important in mediating status-specific relationships between testosterone and cooperation, suggesting shared regulatory mechanisms with male aggressive and sexual behaviours. We also identified differentially regulated genes involved in cellular activity and synaptic potentiation, suggesting multiple mechanisms underpin these genomic states. Finally, we identified SDMN-wide gene expression differences between territorial and floater males that could form the basis of 'status-specific' neurophysiological phenotypes, potentially mediated by testosterone and growth hormone. Overall, our findings provide new, systems-level insights into the mechanisms of cooperative behaviour and suggest that differences in neurogenomic state are the basis for individual differences in social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peri E Bolton
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - T Brandt Ryder
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Roslyn Dakin
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biology, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Brent M Horton
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania, USA
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3
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Banerjee P, Chaube R, Joy KP. Catecholamines modulate differentially nonapeptide precursor mRNA expression in the preoptic area and ovary of the catfish Heteropneustes fossilis: An in vitro study. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 333:114211. [PMID: 36642230 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
In the catfish Heteropneustes fossilis, three nonapeptide hormone genes were identified in the brain preoptic area (POA) and ovary: a pro-vasotocin (pro-vt) and two isotocin gene paralogs viz., a novel pro-ita and conventional pro-itb. In the present study, the regulatory role of catecholamines [CA: dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (AD)] on the expression of these genes were investigated in vitro. DA (1, 10, and 100 ng/mL) inhibited significantly the mRNA expression in both the POA and ovary. NA upregulated the POA mRNA expression in a biphasic manner, the lower concentrations (1 ng and 10 ng) scaled up and the higher concentration (100 ng) scaled down the expression of pro-vt and pro-itb, while only the 1 ng NA scaled up the pro-ita expression. In the ovary, NA upregulated the mRNA expressions at all concentrations; the pro-vt expression was stimulated only at 10 and 100 ng. AD stimulated pro-vt and pro-ita expression in the POA at all concentrations but the pro-itb expression was inhibited at 1 and 10 ng, and stimulated at 100 ng concentrations. In the ovary, AD elicited varied effects; no significant change in pro-vt, a stimulation of pro-ita, and an inhibition of pro-itb at 1 ng, and stimulation of pro-itb at the 10 and 100 ng. The incubation of the POA and ovary with α-methylparatyrosine (MPT, 250 µg/mL, a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor) for 8 h downregulated the mRNA expression in the POA but unaltered the expression in the ovary. Pre-incubation with MPT for 4 h, followed by co-incubation with DA, NA or AD for 4 h elicited varied effects. In the POA, the co-incubations with the CAs rescued the inhibition due to MPT. The MPT + DA and MPT + AD treatments reduced the magnitude of the inhibition of pro-vt and pro-itb by MPT. But the pro-ita expression was modestly stimulated in the MPT + AD group. On the other hand, the MPT + NA treatment rescued the MPT effect and elicited 10-folds increase in the expression levels. In the ovary, the changes were: an inhibition in the MPT + DA group, no significant alteration in the MPT + NA group, and a mild stimulation in the MPT + AD group. The results suggest that CAs modulate brain and ovarian nonapeptide gene expression differentially, which is important in the neuroendocrine/endocrine integration of reproduction in the catfish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Putul Banerjee
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Radha Chaube
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Keerikkattil Paily Joy
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India.
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Faber-Hammond JJ, Renn SCP. Transcriptomic changes associated with maternal care in the brain of mouthbrooding cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni reflect adaptation to self-induced metabolic stress. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb244734. [PMID: 36714987 PMCID: PMC10088530 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Parental care in Astatotilapia burtoni entails females protecting eggs and developing fry in a specialized buccal cavity in the mouth. During this mouthbrooding behavior, which can last 2-3 weeks, mothers undergo voluntary fasting accompanied by loss of body mass and major metabolic changes. Following release of fry, females resume normal feeding behavior and quickly recover body mass as they become reproductively active once again. In order to investigate the molecular underpinnings of such dramatic behavioral and metabolic changes, we sequenced whole-brain transcriptomes from females at four time points throughout their reproductive cycle: 2 days after the start of mouthbrooding, 14 days after the start of mouthbrooding, 2 days after the release of fry and 14 days after the release of fry. Differential expression analysis and clustering of expression profiles revealed a number of neuropeptides and hormones, including the strong candidate gene neurotensin, suggesting that molecular mechanisms underlying parental behaviors may be common across vertebrates despite de novo evolution of parental care in these lineages. In addition, oxygen transport pathways were found to be dramatically downregulated, particularly later in the mouthbrooding stage, while certain neuroprotective pathways were upregulated, possibly to mitigate negative consequences of metabolic depression brought about by fasting. Our results offer new insights into the evolution of parental behavior as well as revealing candidate genes that would be of interest for the study of hypoxic ischemia and eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suzy C. P. Renn
- Department of Biology, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202-8199, USA
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Abdelmesih B, Anderson R, Bambah-Mukku D, Carta I, Autry AE. Urocortin-3 neurons in the perifornical area are critical mediators of chronic stress on female infant-directed behavior. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:483-96. [PMID: 36476733 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01902-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Infant avoidance and aggression are promoted by activation of the Urocortin-3 expressing neurons of the perifornical area of hypothalamus (PeFAUcn3) in male and female mice. PeFAUcn3 neurons have been implicated in stress, and stress is known to reduce maternal behavior. We asked how chronic restraint stress (CRS) affects infant-directed behavior in virgin and lactating females and what role PeFAUcn3 neurons play in this process. Here we show that infant-directed behavior increases activity in the PeFAUcn3 neurons in virgin and lactating females. Chemogenetic inhibition of PeFAUcn3 neurons facilitates pup retrieval in virgin females. CRS reduces pup retrieval in virgin females and increases activity of PeFAUcn3 neurons, while CRS does not affect maternal behavior in lactating females. Inhibition of PeFAUcn3 neurons blocks stress-induced deficits in pup-directed behavior in virgin females. Together, these data illustrate the critical role for PeFAUcn3 neuronal activity in mediating the impact of chronic stress on female infant-directed behavior.
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Mennigen JA, Ramachandran D, Shaw K, Chaube R, Joy KP, Trudeau VL. Reproductive roles of the vasopressin/oxytocin neuropeptide family in teleost fishes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1005863. [PMID: 36313759 PMCID: PMC9606234 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1005863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate nonapeptide families arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are considered to have evolved from a single vasopressin-like peptide present in invertebrates and termed arginine vasotocin in early vertebrate evolution. Unprecedented genome sequence availability has more recently allowed new insight into the evolution of nonapeptides and especially their receptor families in the context of whole genome duplications. In bony fish, nonapeptide homologues of AVP termed arginine vasotocin (Avp) and an OXT family peptide (Oxt) originally termed isotocin have been characterized. While reproductive roles of both nonapeptide families have historically been studied in several vertebrates, their roles in teleost reproduction remain much less understood. Taking advantage of novel genome resources and associated technological advances such as genetic modifications in fish models, we here critically review the current state of knowledge regarding the roles of nonapeptide systems in teleost reproduction. We further discuss sources of plasticity of the conserved nonapeptide systems in the context of diverse reproductive phenotypes observed in teleost fishes. Given the dual roles of preoptic area (POA) synthesized Avp and Oxt as neuromodulators and endocrine/paracrine factors, we focus on known roles of both peptides on reproductive behaviour and the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Emphasis is placed on the identification of a gonadal nonapeptide system that plays critical roles in both steroidogenesis and gamete maturation. We conclude by highlighting key research gaps including a call for translational studies linking new mechanistic understanding of nonapeptide regulated physiology in the context of aquaculture, conservation biology and ecotoxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan A. Mennigen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Divya Ramachandran
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Katherine Shaw
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Radha Chaube
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Keerikkattil P. Joy
- Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, India
| | - Vance L. Trudeau
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
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7
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Sailer LL, Patel PP, Park AH, Moon J, Hanadari-Levy A, Ophir AG. Synergistic consequences of early-life social isolation and chronic stress impact coping and neural mechanisms underlying male prairie vole susceptibility and resilience. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:931549. [PMID: 35957922 PMCID: PMC9358287 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.931549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress can be challenging, lead to maladaptive coping strategies, and cause negative mental and physical health outcomes. Early-life adversity exposes developing young to physical or psychological experiences that risks surpassing their capacity to effectively cope, thereby impacting their lifetime physical and mental wellbeing. Sensitivity to stressful events, like social isolation, has the potential to magnify stress-coping. Chronic stress through social defeat is an established paradigm that models adverse early-life experiences and can trigger enduring alterations in behavioral and neural phenotypes. To assess the degree to which stress resilience and sensitivity stemming from early-life chronic stress impact sociability, we exposed male prairie voles to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) during adolescence. We simultaneously exposed subjects to either social isolation (CSDS+Isol) or group housing (CSDS+Soc) during this crucial time of development. On PND41, all subjects underwent a social approach test to examine the immediate impact of isolation, CSDS, or their combined effects on sociability. Unlike the CSDS+Isol group which primarily displayed social avoidance, the CSDS+Soc group was split by individuals exhibiting susceptible or resilient stress phenotypes. Notably, the Control+Soc and CSDS+Soc animals and their cage-mates significantly gained body weight between PND31 and PND40, whereas the Control+Isol and CSDS+Isol animals did not. These results suggest that the effects of early-life stress may be mitigated by having access to social support. Vasopressin, oxytocin, and opioids and their receptors (avpr1a, oxtr, oprk1, oprm1, and oprd1) are known to modulate social and stress-coping behaviors in the lateral septum (LS). Therefore, we did an mRNA expression analysis with RT-qPCR of the avpr1a, oxtr, oprk1, oprm1, and oprd1 genes to show that isolation and CSDS, or their collective influence, can potentially differentially bias sensitivity of the LS to early-life stressors. Collectively, our study supports the impact and dimensionality of early-life adversity because the type (isolation vs. CSDS), duration (acute vs. chronic), and combination (isolation + CSDS) of stressors can dynamically alter behavioral and neural outcomes.
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Dwortz MF, Curley JP, Tye KM, Padilla-Coreano N. Neural systems that facilitate the representation of social rank. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200444. [PMID: 35000438 PMCID: PMC8743891 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Across species, animals organize into social dominance hierarchies that serve to decrease aggression and facilitate survival of the group. Neuroscientists have adopted several model organisms to study dominance hierarchies in the laboratory setting, including fish, reptiles, rodents and primates. We review recent literature across species that sheds light onto how the brain represents social rank to guide socially appropriate behaviour within a dominance hierarchy. First, we discuss how the brain responds to social status signals. Then, we discuss social approach and avoidance learning mechanisms that we propose could drive rank-appropriate behaviour. Lastly, we discuss how the brain represents memories of individuals (social memory) and how this may support the maintenance of unique individual relationships within a social group. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine F. Dwortz
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - James P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kay M. Tye
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Nancy Padilla-Coreano
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FN 32611, USA
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9
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Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Role of Habenula in Social and Reproductive Behaviors in Fish: Comparison With Mammals. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:818782. [PMID: 35221943 PMCID: PMC8867168 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.818782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors such as mating, parenting, fighting, and avoiding are essential functions as a communication tool in social animals, and are critical for the survival of individuals and species. Social behaviors are controlled by a complex circuitry that comprises several key social brain regions, which is called the social behavior network (SBN). The SBN further integrates social information with external and internal factors to select appropriate behavioral responses to social circumstances, called social decision-making. The social decision-making network (SDMN) and SBN are structurally, neurochemically and functionally conserved in vertebrates. The social decision-making process is also closely influenced by emotional assessment. The habenula has recently been recognized as a crucial center for emotion-associated adaptation behaviors. Here we review the potential role of the habenula in social function with a special emphasis on fish studies. Further, based on evolutional, molecular, morphological, and behavioral perspectives, we discuss the crucial role of the habenula in the vertebrate SDMN.
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10
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Snekser JL. Sex-specific prioritization of parental roles by the convict cichlid is differentially affected by brood predator threat. BEHAVIOUR 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Parents are faced with multiple, critical tasks, and must prioritize mutually exclusive activities. With biparental care, decisions on prioritization become more complex, as sexes may differ in their prioritization of conflicting behaviours and compensation for changes in their mates’ behaviour. Here, I examined the decisions of biparental convict cichlids when they were forced to retrieve displaced young and defend against an intruder. The size and proximity of the potential predator was varied to determine how threat-level influenced prioritization decisions. Males tended to be consistent in their contributions to offspring, regardless of the threat to young. Female parents, however, were much more variable in their care and adjusted their aggression with the size of the intruder and adjusted retrieval in relation to the proximity of the offspring. Sex differences in parental contributions may be due to differences in the parents’ ability or willingness to adjust roles and/or differential potential future reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Snekser
- Department of Animal Behavior, Ecology & Conservation, Canisius College, Buffalo, NY 14208, USA
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11
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Wu H, Saito Y, Yoshizaki G, Yoshiura Y, Ohnuki H, Endo H. Study on the development of carbon nanotube enhanced biosensor for gender determination of fish. Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbsr.2022.100474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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12
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Bock SL, Chow MI, Forsgren KL, Lema SC. Widespread alterations to hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis signaling underlie high temperature reproductive inhibition in the eurythermal sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus). Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 537:111447. [PMID: 34469772 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Fish experiencing abnormally high or prolonged elevations in temperature can exhibit impaired reproduction, even for species adapted to warm water environments. Such high temperature inhibition of reproduction has been linked to diminished gonadal steroidogenesis, but the mechanisms whereby hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis signaling is impacted by high temperature are not fully understood. Here, we characterized differences in HPG status in adult sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), a eurythermal salt marsh and estuarine species of eastern North America, exposed for 14 d to temperatures of 27 °C or 37 °C. Males and females at 37 °C had lower gonadosomatic index (GSI) values compared to fish at 27 °C, and females at 37 °C had fewer spawning capable eggs and lower circulating 17β-estradiol (E2). Gene transcripts encoding gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (gnih) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-3 (gnrh3) were higher in relative abundance in the hypothalamus of both sexes at 37 °C. While pituitary mRNAs for the β-subunits of follicle-stimulating hormone (fshβ) and luteinizing hormone (lhβ) were lowered only in males at 37 °C, Fsh and Lh receptor mRNA levels in the gonads were at lower relative levels in both the ovary and testis of fish at 37 °C. Females at 37 °C also showed reduced ovarian mRNA levels for steroid acute regulatory protein (star), P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (cyp11a1), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βhsd), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (hsd17β3), and ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1a). Females at the higher 37 °C temperature also had a lower liver expression of mRNAs encoding estrogen receptor α (esr1) and several vitellogenin and choriogenin genes, but elevated mRNA levels for hepatic sex hormone-binding globulin (shbg). Our results substantiate prior findings that exposure of fish to high temperature can inhibit gonadal steroidogenesis and oogenesis, and point to declines in reproductive performance emerging from alterations at several levels of HPG axis signaling including increased hypothalamic Gnih expression, depressed gonadal steroidogenesis, and reduced egg yolk and egg envelope protein production in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Bock
- Biological Sciences Department, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Michelle I Chow
- Biological Sciences Department, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Kristy L Forsgren
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Sean C Lema
- Biological Sciences Department, Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA.
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13
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Schuppe ER, Zhang MD, Perelmuter JT, Marchaterre MA, Bass AH. Oxytocin-like receptor expression in evolutionarily conserved nodes of a vocal network associated with male courtship in a teleost fish. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:903-922. [PMID: 34614539 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides, including oxytocin-like peptides, are a conserved group of hormones that regulate a wide range of social behaviors, including vocal communication. In the current study, we evaluate whether putative brain sites for the actions of isotocin (IT), the oxytocin (OT) homolog of teleost fishes are associated with vocal courtship and circuitry in the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus). During the breeding season, nesting males produce advertisement calls known as "hums" to acoustically court females at night and attract them to nests. We first identify IT receptor (ITR) mRNA in evolutionarily conserved regions of the forebrain preoptic area (POA), anterior hypothalamus (AH), and midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), and in two topographically separate populations within the hindbrain vocal pattern generator- duration-coding vocal prepacemaker (VPP) and amplitude-coding vocal motor nuclei (VMN) that also innervate vocal muscles. We also verify that ITR expression overlaps known distribution sites of OT-like immunoreactive fibers. Next, using phosphorylated ribosomal subunit 6 (pS6) as a marker for activated neurons, we demonstrate that ITR-containing neurons in the anterior parvocellular POA, AH, PAG, VPP, and VMN are activated in humming males. Posterior parvocellular and magno/gigantocellular divisions of the POA remain constitutively active in nonhumming males that are also in a reproductive state. Together with prior studies of midshipman fish and other vertebrates, our findings suggest that IT-signaling influences male courtship behavior, in part, by acting on brain regions that broadly influence behavioral state (POA) as well as the initiation (POA and PAG) and temporal structure (VPP and VMN) of advertisement hums.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Schuppe
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Melissa D Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Andrew H Bass
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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14
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Schunter C, Jarrold MD, Munday PL, Ravasi T. Diel pCO 2 fluctuations alter the molecular response of coral reef fishes to ocean acidification conditions. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5105-5118. [PMID: 34402113 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Environmental partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2 ) variation can modify the responses of marine organisms to ocean acidification, yet the underlying mechanisms for this effect remain unclear. On coral reefs, environmental pCO2 fluctuates on a regular day-night cycle. Effects of future ocean acidification on coral reef fishes might therefore depend on their response to this diel cycle of pCO2 . To evaluate the effects on the brain molecular response, we exposed two common reef fishes (Acanthochromis polyacanthus and Amphiprion percula) to two projected future pCO2 levels (750 and 1,000 µatm) under both stable and diel fluctuating conditions. We found a common signature to stable elevated pCO2 for both species, which included the downregulation of immediate early genes, indicating lower brain activity. The transcriptional programme was more strongly affected by higher average pCO2 in a stable treatment than for fluctuating treatments, but the largest difference in molecular response was between stable and fluctuating pCO2 treatments. This indicates that a response to a change in environmental pCO2 conditions is different for organisms living in a fluctuating than in stable environments. This differential regulation was related to steroid hormones and circadian rhythm (CR). Both species exhibited a marked difference in the expression of CR genes among pCO2 treatments, possibly accommodating a more flexible adaptive approach in the response to environmental changes. Our results suggest that environmental pCO2 fluctuations might enable reef fishes to phase-shift their clocks and anticipate pCO2 changes, thereby avoiding impairments and more successfully adjust to ocean acidification conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Schunter
- Swire Institute of Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Michael D Jarrold
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Philip L Munday
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Timothy Ravasi
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,Marine Climate Change Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
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15
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Calvo R, Schluessel V. Neural substrates involved in the cognitive information processing in teleost fish. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:923-46. [PMID: 33907938 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01514-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, it has been shown that fish, comprising the largest group of vertebrates and in many respects one of the least well studied, possess many cognitive abilities comparable to those of birds and mammals. Despite a plethora of behavioural studies assessing cognition abilities and an abundance of neuroanatomical studies, only few studies have aimed to or in fact identified the neural substrates involved in the processing of cognitive information. In this review, an overview of the currently available studies addressing the joint research topics of cognitive behaviour and neuroscience in teleosts (and elasmobranchs wherever possible) is provided, primarily focusing on two fundamentally different but complementary approaches, i.e. ablation studies and Immediate Early Gene (IEG) analyses. More recently, the latter technique has become one of the most promising methods to visualize neuronal populations activated in specific brain areas, both during a variety of cognitive as well as non-cognition-related tasks. While IEG studies may be more elegant and potentially easier to conduct, only lesion studies can help researchers find out what information animals can learn or recall prior to and following ablation of a particular brain area.
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16
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Ogawa S, Pfaff DW, Parhar IS. Fish as a model in social neuroscience: conservation and diversity in the social brain network. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:999-1020. [PMID: 33559323 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms for fish social behaviours involve a social brain network (SBN) which is evolutionarily conserved among vertebrates. However, considerable diversity is observed in the actual behaviour patterns amongst nearly 30000 fish species. The huge variation found in socio-sexual behaviours and strategies is likely generated by a morphologically and genetically well-conserved small forebrain system. Hence, teleost fish provide a useful model to study the fundamental mechanisms underlying social brain functions. Herein we review the foundations underlying fish social behaviours including sensory, hormonal, molecular and neuroanatomical features. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons clearly play important roles, but the participation of vasotocin and isotocin is also highlighted. Genetic investigations of developing fish brain have revealed the molecular complexity of neural development of the SBN. In addition to straightforward social behaviours such as sex and aggression, new experiments have revealed higher order and unique phenomena such as social eavesdropping and social buffering in fish. Finally, observations interpreted as 'collective cognition' in fish can likely be explained by careful observation of sensory determinants and analyses using the dynamics of quantitative scaling. Understanding of the functions of the SBN in fish provide clues for understanding the origin and evolution of higher social functions in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
| | - Donald W Pfaff
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, U.S.A
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia
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17
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Lyu LK, Li JS, Wang XJ, Yao YJ, Li JF, Li Y, Wen HS, Qi X. Arg-Vasotocin Directly Activates Isotocin Receptors and Induces COX2 Expression in Ovoviviparous Guppies. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:617580. [PMID: 33967951 PMCID: PMC8104081 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.617580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a crucial regulator of reproductive behaviors, including parturition in mammals. Arg-vasopressin (AVP) is a nonapeptide homologous to Arg-vasotocin (AVT) in teleosts that has comparable affinity for the OT receptor. In the present study, ovoviviparous guppies (Poecilia reticulata) were used to study the effect of AVT on delivery mediated by the activation of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis via isotocin (IT) receptors (ITRs). One copy each of it and avt and two copies of itrs were identified in guppies. The results of the affinity assay showed that various concentrations of AVT and IT (10-6, 10-7, and 10-8 mol/L) significantly activated itr1 (P < 0.05). In vitro experiments revealed significant upregulation (P < 0.05) of cyclooxygenase 2 (cox2), which is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in PG biosynthesis, and itr1 by AVT and IT. Furthermore, dual in situ hybridization detected positive signals for itr1 and cox2 at the same site, implying that ITR1 may regulate cox2 gene expression. Measurement of prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a) concentrations showed that AVT induced PGF2a synthesis (P < 0.05) and that the effect of IT was not significant. Finally, intraperitoneal administration of PGF2a significantly induced premature parturition of guppies. This study is the first to identify and characterize AVT and ITRs in guppies. The findings suggest that AVT promotes PG biosynthesis via ITR and that PGF2a induces delivery behavior in ovoviviparous guppies.
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18
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Castillo Y, Arce E. Female preference for dominant males in the Mexican mojarra cichlid fish, Cichlasoma istlanum. J Fish Biol 2021; 98:189-195. [PMID: 32997364 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
It is widely assumed that female preference and male competition operate simultaneously during sexual selection. Dominance is likely an honest indicator of male quality, and females can identify and choose the dominant male to reproduce with individuals with greater competitive abilities, thus improving the quality and competitiveness of their offspring. In this context, few studies have investigated female preference in relation to male fighting ability. The Mexican mojarra, Cichlasoma istlanum, is a cichlid species native to the Balsas River basin. It is territorial during reproduction and provides parental care. Males commonly engage in territorial defence, whereas females care directly for offspring. This study examined whether females prefer dominant males that exhibit more aggressive behaviour. The authors conducted experiments using groups of two males and one female to test competitive ability in males and female preference. They also quantified the time during which the female associated with the dominant male and the subordinate male after observing the outcome of a fight between the two males. They found that Mexican mojarra females preferred dominant males and that the time females spent associating with males was positively related with their aggressive behaviours during competition. These results indicate that dominant males were more attractive than subordinate males to female Mexican mojarra. The relationship between female preference and male dominance in the Mexican mojarra demonstrates the importance of male competitive ability for future parental care in reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuritzi Castillo
- Maestría en Biología Integrativa de la Biodiversidad y la Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Elsah Arce
- Laboratorio de Acuicultura, Departamento de Hidrobiología, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
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19
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O'Connell LA. Frank Beach Award Winner: Lessons from poison frogs on ecological drivers of behavioral diversification. Horm Behav 2020; 126:104869. [PMID: 33039350 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Variation in natural behavior is tightly linked to the ecological resources with which they co-evolved. This review discusses poison frog behavior and neuroendocrinology to illustrate how ecological factors drive diversification of behavior and its underlying neural mechanisms. Poison frogs show tremendous diversity in reproductive strategies that are tightly linked to water resources in their environment. Different species utilize particular pool sizes to rear their offspring, which has selected for sex differences in parental behavior among poison frog species. Tadpole behavior reflects the behavioral diversity of adults, where tadpoles can display social group living or violent aggression and begging behavior, which are all associated with pool size and occupancy. Using this behavioral diversity among poison frog species, we have identified core brain regions, like the hippocampus and preoptic area, as being involved in regulating different aspects of amphibian parental behavior. In contrast to core brain regions, the neuromodulators governing these behaviors seem to be more labile across species. This work exemplifies how comparative studies are a prime experimental system to study how evolution tunes neural circuits that give rise to the diversity of behaviors we observe in the natural world. Finally, this review ends on a more important form of diversity - that of our scientific community - and how community outreach, decolonization of field based science, and inclusion of groups historically excluded from conducting research are needed for the scientific enterprise to transform into something truly beneficial for all members of our society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States of America.
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20
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Schulte LM, Ringler E, Rojas B, Stynoski JL. Developments in Amphibian Parental Care Research: History, Present Advances, and Future Perspectives. Herpetological Monographs 2020. [DOI: 10.1655/herpmonographs-d-19-00002.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Schulte
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 13, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Eva Ringler
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jennifer L. Stynoski
- Colorado State University, Department of Biology, 200 W. Lake Street, Fort Collins, CO, 48823 USA
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21
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Félix AS, Cardoso SD, Roleira A, Oliveira RF. Forebrain Transcriptional Response to Transient Changes in Circulating Androgens in a Cichlid Fish. G3 (Bethesda) 2020; 10:1971-82. [PMID: 32276961 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that androgens respond to the social interactions as a way to adjust the behavior of individuals to the challenges of the social environment in an adaptive manner. Therefore, it is expected that transient changes in circulating androgen levels within physiological scope should impact the state of the brain network that regulates social behavior, which should translate into adaptive behavioral changes. Here, we examined the effect that a transient peak in androgen circulating levels, which mimics socially driven changes in androgen levels, has on the forebrain state, which harbors most nuclei of the social decision-making network. For this purpose, we successfully induced transient changes in circulating androgen levels in an African cichlid fish (Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus) commonly used as a model in behavioral neuroendocrinology by injecting 11-ketotestosterone or testosterone, and compared the forebrain transcriptome of these individuals to control fish injected with vehicle. Forebrain samples were collected 30 min and 60 min after injection and analyzed using RNAseq. Our results showed that a transient peak in 11-ketotestosterone drives more accentuated changes in forebrain transcriptome than testosterone, and that transcriptomic impact was greater at the 30 min than at the 60 min post-androgen administration. Several genes involved in the regulation of translation, steroid metabolism, ion channel membrane receptors, and genes involved in epigenetic mechanisms were differentially expressed after 11-ketotestosterone or testosterone injection. In summary, this study identified specific candidate genes that may regulate socially driven changes in behavioral flexibility mediated by androgens.
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22
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Termignoni-Garcia F, Louder MIM, Balakrishnan CN, O’Connell L, Edwards SV. Prospects for sociogenomics in avian cooperative breeding and parental care. Curr Zool 2020; 66:293-306. [PMID: 32440290 PMCID: PMC7233861 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
For the last 40 years, the study of cooperative breeding (CB) in birds has proceeded primarily in the context of discovering the ecological, geographical, and behavioral drivers of helping. The advent of molecular tools in the early 1990s assisted in clarifying the relatedness of helpers to those helped, in some cases, confirming predictions of kin selection theory. Methods for genome-wide analysis of sequence variation, gene expression, and epigenetics promise to add new dimensions to our understanding of avian CB, primarily in the area of molecular and developmental correlates of delayed breeding and dispersal, as well as the ontogeny of achieving parental status in nature. Here, we outline key ways in which modern -omics approaches, in particular genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and epigenetic profiling such as ATAC-seq, can be used to add a new level of analysis of avian CB. Building on recent and ongoing studies of avian social behavior and sociogenomics, we review how high-throughput sequencing of a focal species or clade can provide a robust foundation for downstream, context-dependent destructive and non-destructive sampling of specific tissues or physiological states in the field for analysis of gene expression and epigenetics. -Omics approaches have the potential to inform not only studies of the diversification of CB over evolutionary time, but real-time analyses of behavioral interactions in the field or lab. Sociogenomics of birds represents a new branch in the network of methods used to study CB, and can help clarify ways in which the different levels of analysis of CB ultimately interact in novel and unexpected ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Termignoni-Garcia
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Matthew I M Louder
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | | | - Lauren O’Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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23
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Abstract
Parental care represents a suite of distinct behaviors performed by parents to maximize fitness. Dynamic shifts in parental care behaviors, such as between nest defense and direct provisioning of the offspring, are required in response to environmental variation. However, the neural mechanisms which mediate such behavioral shifts remain a mystery. The anemonefish, Amphiprion ocellaris, represents an experimentally valuable model in social neuroscience which is conducive to manipulating the environment while simultaneously measuring parental care. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) signaling are necessary for males to shift between direct egg care and aggressive nest defense in the presence of intruders, Domino damselfish (Dascyllus trimaculatus). The IT receptor antagonist desGly-NH2-d(CH2)5[D-Tyr2,Thr4]OVT, significantly reduced direct egg care, while at the same time increased levels of aggressive nest defense relative to vehicle. Conversely, blockade of AVT using the antagonist d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2]AVP, reduced aggression and tended to increase egg care. Results demonstrate that male anemonefish alter their parental strategy in response to allospecific intruders, and that IT and AVT signaling oppositely regulate parental care displays of aggression versus egg care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross DeAngelis
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America; Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America.
| | - Logan Dodd
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
| | - Justin Rhodes
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America; Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
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24
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Fischer EK, O'Connell LA. Hormonal and neural correlates of care in active versus observing poison frog parents. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104696. [PMID: 31987899 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The occasional reversal of sex-typical behavior suggests that many of the neural circuits underlying behavior are conserved between males and females and can be activated in response to the appropriate social condition or stimulus. Most poison frog species (Family Dendrobatidae) exhibit male uniparental care, but flexible compensation has been observed in some species, where females will take over parental care duties when males disappear. We investigated hormonal and neural correlates of sex-typical and sex-reversed parental care in a typically male uniparental species, the Dyeing Poison Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius). We first characterized hormone levels and whole brain gene expression across parental care stages during sex-typical care. Surprisingly, hormonal changes and brain gene expression differences associated with active parental behavior in males were mirrored in their non-caregiving female partners. To further explore the disconnect between neuroendocrine patterns and behavior, we characterized hormone levels and neural activity patterns in females performing sex-reversed parental care. In contrast to hormone and gene expression patterns, we found that patterns of neural activity were linked to the active performance of parental behavior, with sex-reversed tadpole transporting females exhibiting neural activity patterns more similar to those of transporting males than non-caregiving females. We suggest that parallels in hormones and brain gene expression in active and observing parents are related to females' ability to flexibly take over parental care in the absence of their male partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America.
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25
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Sokołowska E, Gozdowska M, Kulczykowska E. Social context affects aggression and brain vasotocin and isotocin level in the round goby. Fish Physiol Biochem 2020; 46:641-652. [PMID: 31834553 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-019-00741-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
On the wild spawning grounds, the round gobies Neogobius melanostomus are subjected to different social cues, such as sex-separation and high fish density. We designed an experiment to stimulate natural social stress when fish are separated from opposite sex individuals and exposed to close proximity of same-sex conspecifics. We examined the effects of different sex compositions on aggressiveness and brain concentrations of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT), as AVT and IT are known to be involved in aggressive interactions during reproduction. The round gobies were kept in three experimental groups: same-sex groups broken down into male-only and female-only groups and mixed-sex groups. In this study, males and females from same-sex groups showed overt aggression and competition. Separation stress stimulated aggressive responses in both sexes, but the link between brain AVT and IT concentration and aggressive behavior was evident only in male-only group. In the male-only group, AVT and IT levels were the highest. This study shows that sex composition of the social environment can affect aggressive behavior as well as AVT and IT concentration in the whole brain of the round goby.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Sokołowska
- Department of Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Gozdowska
- Department of Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland
| | - Ewa Kulczykowska
- Department of Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland
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26
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Paciorek T, Joseph L. Behavioral and Endocrine Alterations to Partner Interactions and Offspring Care during Periods of Conflict. Integr Org Biol 2020; 2:obaa002. [PMID: 33791546 PMCID: PMC7671132 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biparental care has evolved to ensure successful rearing of offspring. However, separation during periods of care can lead to conflicts that might negatively impact pair bonds and offspring care. In this study, pair-bonded convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) were observed for changes in behavior toward their partners and offspring before and after a period of separation. Males and females were designated either as a Resident (remain with offspring) or Removed (separated from partner and offspring for 5 days) individual. Behaviors between partners and toward offspring were measured before and after separation, and compared to the levels of behavior of control pairs (never separated), as well as individuals introduced to a novel partner instead. Cortisol levels of Resident male and female A. nigrofasciata were assayed using water-borne hormone collection before and after separation. Aggression between pair bond members did increase following reintroduction, but did not lead to the termination of pair bonds. Resident females showed more aggression to novel partners than Resident males. Offspring care decreased in both Resident and Removed females. Experimental pairs decreased the amount of time spent interacting with intruders. Cortisol levels were significantly higher among experimental pairs compared with control pairs that did not experience a separation. Females (both control and experimental) showed small, yet significant increases in cortisol levels, while both control and experimental males did not. These results suggest that while pair bonds appear resilient, prolonged separations influence pair bond and parental care dynamics, both behaviorally and hormonally, and require pairs to re-establish roles, resulting in less time caring for offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Paciorek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
| | - Leese Joseph
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
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27
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Robinson KJ, Ternes K, Hazon N, Wells RS, Janik VM. Bottlenose dolphin calves have multi-year elevations of plasma oxytocin compared to all other age classes. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 286:113323. [PMID: 31733207 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Providing for infants nutritionally via lactation is one of the hallmarks of mammalian reproduction, and infants without motivated mothers providing for them are unlikely to survive. Mothers must maintain regular contact with infants both spatially and temporally while utilising their environment to forage, avoid threats and find shelter. However, mothers can only do this and maximise their reproductive success with some degree of co-operation from infants, despite their developing physical and cognitive capabilities. The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin (OT) triggers proximity-seeking behaviour and acts in a positive feedback loop across mother-infant bonds, stimulating appropriate pro-social behaviour across the pair. However, data on infant OT levels is lacking, and it is unclear how important infants are in maintaining mother-infant associations. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a mammalian species that is fully physically mobile at birth and has multi-year, but individually variable, lactation periods. We investigated OT concentrations in mother-infant pairs of wild individuals compared to other age and reproductive classes. An ELISA to detect OT in dolphin plasma was successfully validated with extracted plasma. We highlight a statistical method for testing for parallelism that could be applied to other ELISA validation studies. OT concentrations were consistently elevated in calves up to at least 4 years of age with lactating mothers (12.1 ± 0.9 pg/ml), while all mothers (4.5 ± 0.4 pg/ml) had OT concentrations comparable to non-lactating individuals (5.9 ± 0.5 pg/ml). Concentrations within infants were individually variable, and may reflect the strength of the bond with their mother. The OT system likely provides a physiological mechanism for motivating infants to perform behaviours that prevent long-term separation from their mothers during this crucial time in their life history. Elevated infant OT has also been linked to energetic and developmental advantages which may lead to greater survival rates. Environmental or anthropogenic disturbances to OT release can occur during bond formation or can disrupt the communication methods used to reinforce these bonds via OT elevation. Variation in OT expression in infants, and its behavioural and physiological consequences, may explain differences in reproductive success despite appropriate maternal behaviour expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J Robinson
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK.
| | - Kerstin Ternes
- Zoo Duisburg, Mülheimer Straße 273, 47058 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Neil Hazon
- Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Vincent M Janik
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
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28
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Van Dyke JU, Thompson MB, Burridge CP, Castelli MA, Clulow S, Dissanayake DSB, Dong CM, Doody JS, Edwards DL, Ezaz T, Friesen CR, Gardner MG, Georges A, Higgie M, Hill PL, Holleley CE, Hoops D, Hoskin CJ, Merry DL, Riley JL, Wapstra E, While GM, Whiteley SL, Whiting MJ, Zozaya SM, Whittington CM. Australian lizards are outstanding models for reproductive biology research. AUST J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/zo21017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Australian lizards are a diverse group distributed across the continent and inhabiting a wide range of environments. Together, they exhibit a remarkable diversity of reproductive morphologies, physiologies, and behaviours that is broadly representative of vertebrates in general. Many reproductive traits exhibited by Australian lizards have evolved independently in multiple lizard lineages, including sociality, complex signalling and mating systems, viviparity, and temperature-dependent sex determination. Australian lizards are thus outstanding model organisms for testing hypotheses about how reproductive traits function and evolve, and they provide an important basis of comparison with other animals that exhibit similar traits. We review how research on Australian lizard reproduction has contributed to answering broader evolutionary and ecological questions that apply to animals in general. We focus on reproductive traits, processes, and strategies that are important areas of current research, including behaviours and signalling involved in courtship; mechanisms involved in mating, egg production, and sperm competition; nesting and gestation; sex determination; and finally, birth in viviparous species. We use our review to identify important questions that emerge from an understanding of this body of research when considered holistically. Finally, we identify additional research questions within each topic that Australian lizards are well suited for reproductive biologists to address.
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29
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Kelly EM, Adkins-Regan E. Do nonapeptides regulate parental care depending on experience in zebra finches? Horm Behav 2020; 117:104603. [PMID: 31669456 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent research suggests that the nonapeptide neurohormones regulate parental behaviors in a diverse array of vertebrates. However, it remains unclear how these neurohormones regulate parental care among birds, especially those which exhibit biparental care, or whether hormonal effects are contingent on a bird's previous experience as a parent. We measured the effects of nonapeptides on parental behaviors by peripherally injecting, over three treatment days, a short-acting nonapeptide receptor antagonist (OTA) or a saline control into breeding pairs of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) that either did or did not have previous parental experience. We then compared how the duration of parental behaviors changed over the five days of observation (including one day before and two days after injections were administered). To compare treatment effects on parental outcomes, we also measured chick growth and mortality rates for each pair. There was a nearly significant interaction between treatment and experience for the amount of time birds spent in the nest, with time in the nest declining across the experiment inexperienced and experienced OTA birds. There was also a significant treatment by trial day interaction for nest guarding and a treatment by experience by trial day interaction for nest maintenance. Chicks reared by parents that received the OTA had significantly lower growth rates than chicks reared by control parents and, among experienced birds, higher mortality relative to control birds. Together, these results provide some support for the hypothesis that nonapeptides play a role in regulating parental outcomes and some parental behaviors in both experienced and inexperienced zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- E McKenna Kelly
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Seeley G. Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America.
| | - Elizabeth Adkins-Regan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Seeley G. Mudd Hall, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America; Department of Psychology, Cornell University, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States of America
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30
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Fischer EK, Roland AB, Moskowitz NA, Vidoudez C, Ranaivorazo N, Tapia EE, Trauger SA, Vences M, Coloma LA, O’Connell LA. Mechanisms of Convergent Egg Provisioning in Poison Frogs. Curr Biol 2019; 29:4145-4151.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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31
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Robinson KJ, Hazon N, Twiss SD, Pomeroy PP. High oxytocin infants gain more mass with no additional maternal energetic costs in wild grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 110:104423. [PMID: 31487568 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Maximising infant survival requires secure attachments and appropriate behaviours between parents and offspring. Oxytocin is vital for parent-offspring bonding and behaviour. It also modulates energetic balance and neural pathways regulating feeding. However, to date the connections between these two areas of the hormone's functionality are poorly defined. We demonstrate that grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) mothers with high oxytocin levels produce pups with high oxytocin levels throughout lactation, and show for the first time a link between endogenous infant oxytocin levels and rates of mass gain prior to weaning. High oxytocin infants gained mass at a greater rate without additional energetic cost to their mothers. Increased mass gain in infants was not due to increased nursing, and there was no link between maternal mass loss rates and plasma oxytocin concentrations. Increased mass gain rates within high oxytocin infants may be due to changes in individual behaviour and energy expenditure or oxytocin impacting on tissue formation. Infancy is a crucial time for growth and development, and our findings connect the oxytocin driven mechanisms for parent-infant bonding with the energetics underlying parental care. Our study demonstrates that oxytocin release may connect optimal parental or social environments with direct physiological advantages for individual development.
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32
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Cunha-Saraiva F, Balshine S, Gozdowska M, Kulczykowska E, H Wagner R, C Schaedelin F. Parental care and neuropeptide dynamics in a cichlid fish Neolamprologus caudopunctatus. Horm Behav 2019; 116:104576. [PMID: 31442428 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) modulate social behavior across a wide variety of species. However, the role of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT, the teleost homologs of AVP and OT) in regulating biparental care especially in the context of monogamy is not well studied. Here, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we investigated how bioactive whole brain AVT and IT neuropeptide levels vary in relation to the phase of the breeding cycle and sex, in a monogamous biparental cichlid fish, Neolamprologus caudopunctatus. Since non-caring individuals of this species readily cannibalize eggs, but caring parents never do, we further investigated whether there might be changes in AVT/IT whole brain levels that correspond to the transition from a non-breeding, egg cannibal to an egg caring parent. We found that AVT levels were higher in females than in males and that AVT levels were highest when the need to defend the young was greatest. Breeding pairs that had a strong pair-bond and a higher frequency of nest care had the highest levels of AVT, whereas individuals that spent little time close to their breeding partner, displayed aggression towards their partner and neglected their nest duties (signs of a weak pair bond), had lower whole brain AVT levels. Isotocin (IT) levels did not differ between sexes and we did not detect any variation across the breeding cycle, with pair-bonding scores or with parental behavior. Our results show that whole brain AVT levels are linked to the breeding cycle, nest maintenance and pair-bonding score in this species. Furthermore, our study highlights species and sex-specific nonapeptides patterns in bi-parental caring fish and contributes to the increasing knowledge on neuroendocrinological mechanisms underlying parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Cunha-Saraiva
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Magdalena Gozdowska
- Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Ewa Kulczykowska
- Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Richard H Wagner
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franziska C Schaedelin
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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33
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Bukhari SA, Saul MC, James N, Bensky MK, Stein LR, Trapp R, Bell AM. Neurogenomic insights into paternal care and its relation to territorial aggression. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4437. [PMID: 31570726 PMCID: PMC6768867 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12212-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Motherhood is characterized by dramatic changes in brain and behavior, but less is known about fatherhood. Here we report that male sticklebacks—a small fish in which fathers provide care—experience dramatic changes in neurogenomic state as they become fathers. Some genes are unique to different stages of paternal care, some genes are shared across stages, and some genes are added to the previously acquired neurogenomic state. Comparative genomic analysis suggests that some of these neurogenomic dynamics resemble changes associated with pregnancy and reproduction in mammalian mothers. Moreover, gene regulatory analysis identifies transcription factors that are regulated in opposite directions in response to a territorial challenge versus during paternal care. Altogether these results show that some of the molecular mechanisms of parental care might be deeply conserved and might not be sex-specific, and suggest that tradeoffs between opposing social behaviors are managed at the gene regulatory level. Compared to motherhood, the molecular changes associated with fatherhood are less understood. Here, the authors investigate gene expression changes associated with paternal care in male stickleback fish, and compare them with patterns in territorial aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Abbas Bukhari
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1206 Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Illinois Informatics Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 616 E. Green St., Urbana, IL, 61820, USA.,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Michael C Saul
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1206 Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Jackson Labs, 600 Main St., Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Noelle James
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Miles K Bensky
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Laura R Stein
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Room 314, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Rebecca Trapp
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Alison M Bell
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1206 Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA. .,Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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34
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Altmieme Z, Jubouri M, Touma K, Coté G, Fonseca M, Julian T, Mennigen JA. A reproductive role for the nonapeptides vasotocin and isotocin in male zebrafish (Danio rerio). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 238:110333. [PMID: 31499217 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2019.110333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Two distinct nonapeptide systems, vasotocin- and oxytocin-related peptides, evolved in vertebrates. Their role in male zebrafish reproduction has not been formally investigated. We hypothesized that the teleost nonapeptides vasotocin and isotocin stimulate male zebrafish reproductive physiology and success by affecting central neuronal and/or peripheral endocrine pathways. Pharmacological inhibition experiments revealed that both vasotocin and isotocin contribute significantly to male reproductive success, which in the case of vasotocin correlated significantly with indices of male courtship behavior. Interestingly, co-administration of vasotocin and isotocin antagonists completely abolished male reproductive success without affecting male courtship behavior and endocrine indices, possibly linked to a synergistic action of nonapeptides on male pheromone release. To further probe the nonapeptides' role in male zebrafish reproduction, we subsequently tested whether male zebrafish nonapeptide systems were acutely activated by the female releaser pheromone PGF2α, a strong chemoattractant and important reproductive cue in males which stimulates courtship behavior. Male zebrafish attracted to PGF2α in a choice assay exhibited acute increases in neuronal activation marker p-ERK immunoreactivity in the ventral glomerulus of the olfactory bulb and the preoptic area, however no co-localization with isotocin was observed. Conversely, PGF2α time-dependently stimulated whole brain isotocin mRNA abundance, suggesting secondary longer-term effects of PGF2α exposure on the central isotocinergic system. While the current lack of vasotocin-specific antibodies for zebrafish does not allow to probe acute activation of vasotocinergic neurons, whole brain vasotocin mRNA was not significantly affected by PGF2α exposure. Together, our results identify a role for nonapeptides in male zebrafish reproductive physiology and success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Altmieme
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Jubouri
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - K Touma
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - G Coté
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Fonseca
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - T Julian
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - J A Mennigen
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 20 Marie-Curie, K1N 6N5 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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35
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Pouso P, Cabana Á, Goodson JL, Silva A. Preoptic Area Activation and Vasotocin Involvement in the Reproductive Behavior of a Weakly Pulse-Type Electric Fish, Brachyhypopomus gauderio. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 13:37. [PMID: 31456670 PMCID: PMC6700327 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behavior exhibits a wide diversity among vertebrates though it is controlled by a conserved neural network, the social behavior network (SBN). The activity of the SBN is shaped by hypothalamic nonapeptides of the vasopressin-oxytocin family. The weakly electric fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio emits social electrical signals during courtship. Three types of vasotocin (AVT) cells occur in the preoptic area (POA), one of the SBN nodes. In this study, we aimed to test if POA neurons of the nucleus preopticus ventricularis anterior (PPa) and posterior (PPp), and in particular AVT+ cells, were activated by social stimuli using a 2-day behavioral protocol. During the first night, male-female dyads were recorded to identify courting males. During the second night, these males were divided in two experimental conditions: isolated and social (male with a female). Both AVT cells and the cellular activation of the POA neurons (measured by FOS) were identified. We found that the PPa of social males showed more FOS+ cells than the PPa of isolated males, and that the PPa had more AVT+ cells in social males than in isolated males. The double-immunolabeling for AVT and FOS indicated the activation of AVT+ neurons. No significant differences in the activation of AVT+ cells were found between conditions, but a clear association was observed between the number of AVT+ cells and certain behavioral traits. In addition, a different activation of AVT+ cell-types was observed for social vs. isolated males. We conclude that the POA of B. gauderio exhibits changes induced by social stimuli in reproductive context, involving an increase in AVT production and a different profile activation among AVT+ cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Pouso
- Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Unidad Bases Neurales de la Conducta, Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, IIBCE, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Álvaro Cabana
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología (CIBPsi) and Instituto de Fundamentos y Métodos, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - James L Goodson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Ana Silva
- Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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36
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Fischer EK, Roland AB, Moskowitz NA, Tapia EE, Summers K, Coloma LA, O'Connell LA. The neural basis of tadpole transport in poison frogs. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191084. [PMID: 31311480 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Parental care has evolved repeatedly and independently across animals. While the ecological and evolutionary significance of parental behaviour is well recognized, underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We took advantage of behavioural diversity across closely related species of South American poison frogs (Family Dendrobatidae) to identify neural correlates of parental behaviour shared across sexes and species. We characterized differences in neural induction, gene expression in active neurons and activity of specific neuronal types in three species with distinct care patterns: male uniparental, female uniparental and biparental. We identified the medial pallium and preoptic area as core brain regions associated with parental care, independent of sex and species. The identification of neurons active during parental care confirms a role for neuropeptides associated with care in other vertebrates as well as identifying novel candidates. Our work is the first to explore neural and molecular mechanisms of parental care in amphibians and highlights the potential for mechanistic studies in closely related but behaviourally variable species to help build a more complete understanding of how shared principles and species-specific diversity govern parental care and other social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Nora A Moskowitz
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elicio E Tapia
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Otonga, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Kyle Summers
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Luis A Coloma
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Otonga, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Lauren A O'Connell
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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37
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Thomas JT, Todd EV, Muncaster S, Lokman PM, Damsteegt EL, Liu H, Soyano K, Gléonnec F, Lamm MS, Godwin JR, Gemmell NJ. Conservation and diversity in expression of candidate genes regulating socially-induced female-male sex change in wrasses. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7032. [PMID: 31218121 PMCID: PMC6568253 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fishes exhibit remarkably diverse, and plastic, patterns of sexual development, most striking of which is sequential hermaphroditism, where individuals readily reverse sex in adulthood. How this stunning example of phenotypic plasticity is controlled at a genetic level remains poorly understood. Several genes have been implicated in regulating sex change, yet the degree to which a conserved genetic machinery orchestrates this process has not yet been addressed. Using captive and in-the-field social manipulations to initiate sex change, combined with a comparative qPCR approach, we compared expression patterns of four candidate regulatory genes among three species of wrasses (Labridae)-a large and diverse teleost family where female-to-male sex change is pervasive, socially-cued, and likely ancestral. Expression in brain and gonadal tissues were compared among the iconic tropical bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) and the temperate spotty (Notolabrus celidotus) and kyusen (Parajulus poecilepterus) wrasses. In all three species, gonadal sex change was preceded by downregulation of cyp19a1a (encoding gonadal aromatase that converts androgens to oestrogens) and accompanied by upregulation of amh (encoding anti-müllerian hormone that primarily regulates male germ cell development), and these genes may act concurrently to orchestrate ovary-testis transformation. In the brain, our data argue against a role for brain aromatase (cyp19a1b) in initiating behavioural sex change, as its expression trailed behavioural changes. However, we find that isotocin (it, that regulates teleost socio-sexual behaviours) expression correlated with dominant male-specific behaviours in the bluehead wrasse, suggesting it upregulation mediates the rapid behavioural sex change characteristic of blueheads and other tropical wrasses. However, it expression was not sex-biased in temperate spotty and kyusen wrasses, where sex change is more protracted and social groups may be less tightly-structured. Together, these findings suggest that while key components of the molecular machinery controlling gonadal sex change are phylogenetically conserved among wrasses, neural pathways governing behavioural sex change may be more variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi T. Thomas
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Erica V. Todd
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Simon Muncaster
- Faculty of Primary Industries, Environment and Science, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
| | - P Mark Lokman
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Erin L. Damsteegt
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
| | - Kiyoshi Soyano
- Institute for East China Sea Research, Organization for Marine Science and Technology, Nagasaki University, Taira-machi, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Florence Gléonnec
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
- BIOSIT - Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie-Santé de Rennes, Université Rennes I, Rennes, France
| | - Melissa S. Lamm
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - John R. Godwin
- Department of Biological Sciences and WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - Neil J. Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
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38
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Fischer EK, Nowicki JP, O'Connell LA. Evolution of affiliation: patterns of convergence from genomes to behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180242. [PMID: 31154971 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Affiliative behaviours have evolved many times across animals. Research on the mechanisms underlying affiliative behaviour demonstrates remarkable convergence across species spanning wide evolutionary distances. Shared mechanisms have been identified with genomic approaches analysing genetic variants and gene expression differences as well as neuroendocrine and molecular approaches exploring the role of hormones and signalling molecules. We review the genomic and neural basis of pair bonding and parental care across diverse taxa to shed light on mechanistic patterns that underpin the convergent evolution of affiliative behaviour. We emphasize that mechanisms underlying convergence in complex phenotypes like affiliation should be evaluated on a continuum, where signatures of convergence may vary across levels of biological organization. In particular, additional comparative studies within and across major vertebrate lineages will be essential in resolving when and why shared neural substrates are repeatedly targeted in the independent evolution of affiliation, and how similar mechanisms are evolutionarily tuned to give rise to species-specific variations in behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'Convergent evolution in the genomics era: new insights and directions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva K Fischer
- Department of Biology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 95305 , USA
| | - Jessica P Nowicki
- Department of Biology, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 95305 , USA
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39
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Ramsey ME, Fry D, Cummings ME. Isotocin increases female avoidance of males in a coercive mating system: Assessing the social salience hypothesis of oxytocin in a fish species. Horm Behav 2019; 112:1-9. [PMID: 30902535 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The nonapeptide oxytocin (and its fish homolog isotocin (IT)) is an evolutionarily-conserved hormone associated with social behaviors across most vertebrate taxa. Oxytocin has traditionally been regarded as a prosocial hormone, but studies on social cognition in mammalian models suggest it may play a more nuanced role in modulating social discrimination based on social salience and stimulus valence. Here we test IT and its role in regulating female social decision-making and anxiety behaviors in a live-bearing fish with a male coercive mating system. Gambusia affinis males engage in a forced mating strategy, with frequent harassment and attempted copulatory thrusts directed towards unwilling females. Exogenous IT produced anxiolytic responses in female G. affinis that altered exploration (time in center of tank) but not time in dark vs. light regions of the tank. Exogenous IT also produced context-specific changes in social tendency: IT-treated G. affinis females spent less time associating with males while association time with conspecific females was not altered. Further, while overall activity levels were not changed by IT treatment, the amount of social behaviors IT-treated females directed towards males, but not females, was reduced. Our results support the social salience hypothesis of oxytocin action in a teleost and suggest that oxytocin's critical input into social cognitive processing is conserved across vertebrate taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Ramsey
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Dustin Fry
- Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Molly E Cummings
- Section of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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40
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Abstract
The tremendous diversity of animal behaviors has inspired generations of scientists from an array of biological disciplines. To complement investigations of ecological and evolutionary factors contributing to behavioral evolution, modern sequencing, gene editing, computational and neuroscience tools now provide a means to discover the proximate mechanisms upon which natural selection acts to generate behavioral diversity. Social behaviors are motivated behaviors that can differ tremendously between closely related species, suggesting phylogenetic plasticity in their underlying biological mechanisms. In addition, convergent evolution has repeatedly given rise to similar forms of social behavior and mating systems in distantly related species. Social behavioral divergence and convergence provides an entry point for understanding the neurogenetic mechanisms contributing to behavioral diversity. We argue that the greatest strides in discovering mechanisms contributing to social behavioral diversity will be achieved through integration of interdisciplinary comparative approaches with modern tools in diverse species systems. We review recent advances and future potential for discovering mechanisms underlying social behavioral variation; highlighting patterns of social behavioral evolution, oxytocin and vasopressin neuropeptide systems, genetic/transcriptional "toolkits," modern experimental tools, and alternative species systems, with particular emphasis on Microtine rodents and Lake Malawi cichlid fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary V Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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41
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Young RL, Ferkin MH, Ockendon-Powell NF, Orr VN, Phelps SM, Pogány Á, Richards-Zawacki CL, Summers K, Székely T, Trainor BC, Urrutia AO, Zachar G, O'Connell LA, Hofmann HA. Conserved transcriptomic profiles underpin monogamy across vertebrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1331-6. [PMID: 30617061 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1813775116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Social monogamy, typically characterized by the formation of a pair bond, increased territorial defense, and often biparental care, has independently evolved multiple times in animals. Despite the independent evolutionary origins of monogamous mating systems, several homologous brain regions and neuropeptides and their receptors have been shown to play a conserved role in regulating social affiliation and parental care, but little is known about the neuromolecular mechanisms underlying monogamy on a genomic scale. Here, we compare neural transcriptomes of reproductive males in monogamous and nonmonogamous species pairs of Peromyscus mice, Microtus voles, parid songbirds, dendrobatid frogs, and Xenotilapia species of cichlid fishes. We find that, while evolutionary divergence time between species or clades did not explain gene expression similarity, characteristics of the mating system correlated with neural gene expression patterns, and neural gene expression varied concordantly across vertebrates when species transition to monogamy. Our study provides evidence of a universal transcriptomic mechanism underlying the evolution of monogamy in vertebrates.
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42
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Tripp JA, Feng NY, Bass AH. Behavioural tactic predicts preoptic-hypothalamic gene expression more strongly than developmental morph in fish with alternative reproductive tactics. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2742. [PMID: 29343607 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive success relies on the coordination of social behaviours, such as territory defence, courtship and mating. Species with extreme variation in reproductive tactics are useful models for identifying the neural mechanisms underlying social behaviour plasticity. The plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus) is a teleost fish with two male reproductive morphs that follow widely divergent developmental trajectories and display alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). Type I males defend territories, court females and provide paternal care, but will resort to cuckoldry if they cannot maintain a territory. Type II males reproduce only through cuckoldry. We sought to disentangle gene expression patterns underlying behavioural tactic, in this case ARTs, from those solely reflective of developmental morph. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated differential transcript expression in the preoptic area-anterior hypothalamus (POA-AH) of courting type I males, cuckolding type I males and cuckolding type II males. Unexpectedly, POA-AH differential expression was more strongly coupled to behavioural tactic than morph. This included a suite of transcripts implicated in hormonal regulation of vertebrate social behaviour. Our results reveal that divergent expression patterns in a conserved neuroendocrine centre known to regulate social-reproductive behaviours across vertebrate lineages may be uncoupled from developmental history to enable plasticity in the performance of reproductive tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel A Tripp
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7901, USA
| | - Ni Y Feng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7901, USA
| | - Andrew H Bass
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7901, USA
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43
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Fischer EK, Westrick SE, Hartsough L, Hoke KL. Differences in neural activity, but not behavior, across social contexts in guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2548-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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44
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DeAngelis R, Dodd L, Snyder A, Rhodes JS. Dynamic regulation of brain aromatase and isotocin receptor gene expression depends on parenting status. Horm Behav 2018; 103:62-70. [PMID: 29928890 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Fathering behavior is critical for offspring survival in many species across diverse taxa, but our understanding of the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating paternal care is limited in part because of the few primarily paternal species among the common animal models. However, many teleosts display primarily paternal care, and among the teleosts, anemonefish species are particularly well suited for isolating molecular mechanisms of fathering as they perform parental care in isolation of many other typically competing behaviors such as territorial defense and nest building. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which whole brain gene expression levels of isotocin receptors, arginine vasotocin receptors, and aromatase as well as circulating levels of the bioactive sex steroid hormones estradiol (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) vary in association with parenting behavior in Amphiprion ocellaris. Brain aromatase and IT receptor gene expression were higher in both males and females that were parenting versus not. IT receptor expression was overall higher in males than females, which we interpret is a reflection of the greater parental effort that males display. Aromatase was overall higher in females than males, which we conclude is related to the higher circulating E2, which crosses into the brain and increases aromatase transcription. Results suggest both aromatase and IT receptors are dynamically upregulated in the brains of A. ocellaris males and females to support high levels of parental effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross DeAngelis
- Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Logan Dodd
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Amanda Snyder
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Justin S Rhodes
- Program for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, 405 N. Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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45
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Bouchekioua S, Hur SP, Takeuchi Y, Lee YD, Takemura A. Effects of temperature and melatonin on day-night expression patterns of arginine vasotocin and isotocin mRNA in the diencephalon of a temperate wrasse Halichoeres tenuispinis. Fish Physiol Biochem 2018; 44:817-828. [PMID: 29404822 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-018-0471-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Most wrasses are protogynous species that swim to feed, reproduce during the daytime, and bury themselves under the sandy bottom at night. In temperate and subtropical wrasses, low temperature influences emergence from the sandy bottom in the morning, and induces a hibernation-like state in winter. We cloned and characterized the prohormone complementary DNAs (cDNAs) of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT) in a temperate wrasse (Halichoeres tenuispinis) and examined the effects of day/night and temperature on their expression in the diencephalon, because these neurohypophysial peptides are related to the sex behavior of wrasses. The full-length cDNAs of pro-AVT and pro-IT were 938 base pairs (154 amino acids) and 759 base pairs (156 amino acids) in length, respectively. Both pro-peptides contained a signal sequence followed by the respective hormones and neurophysin connected by a Gly-Lys-Arg bridge. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that pro-AVT mRNA expression was specifically observed in the diencephalon, whereas pro-IT mRNA expression was seen in the whole brain. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the mRNA abundance of pro-AVT and pro-IT was higher at midday (zeitgeber time 6; ZT6) than at midnight (ZT18) under 12 h light and 12 h darkness (LD 12:12) conditions, but not under constant light. Intraperitoneal injection of melatonin decreased the mRNA abundance of pro-AVT, but not of pro-IT. When fish were reared under LD 12:12 conditions at 25, 20, and 15 °C, day high and night low mRNA expressions of pro-AVT and pro-IT were maintained. A field survey revealed seasonal variation in the number of swimming fish at observatory sites; many fish emerged from the sandy bottom in summer, but not in winter, suggesting a hibernation-like state under the sandy bottom under low temperature conditions. We conclude that the day-night fluctuation of pro-AVT and pro-IT mRNA abundance in the brain is not affected by temperature and repeated under the sandy bottom in winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma Bouchekioua
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
| | - Sung-Pyo Hur
- Jeju International Marine Science Research & Education Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, 63349, South Korea
| | - Yuki Takeuchi
- Developmental Neurobiology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Young-Don Lee
- Marine Science Institute, Jeju National University, 3288 Hamduk, Jocheon, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, 695-814, South Korea
| | - Akihiro Takemura
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan.
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46
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Wu R, Song Z, Tai F. Parent-offspring cohabitation after weaning inhibits partner preference and alters central oxytocin and dopamine systems in adult mandarin vole. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:593-604. [PMID: 29671049 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1262-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In some mammals, offspring may live with their parents for a very long time after weaning, but little is known about the effect of post-weaning parent-offspring cohabitation on the behavioral and neurobiological development of offspring. Here, we explored the effect of this experience on partner preference in adult mandarin vole (Microtus mandarinus). Levels of central oxytocin (OT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), as well as OT receptor (OTR), dopamine D1-type and D2-type receptors (D1R and D2R) mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and medial amygdala (MeA) were also measured. Our data showed that post-weaning living with parents inhibited the preference to partner over an unfamiliar opposite-sex conspecific. Voles with this experience possessed more OT-but less TH-immunoreactive neurons as compared to the control. Additionally, males with this experience had less D2R and OTR mRNA expression in the NAcc than the control while females had less D2R mRNA expression in the NAcc, but more OTR mRNA expression in the MeA. These findings demonstrate that post-weaning parent-offspring cohabitation inhibits the partner preference formation at adulthood, and these changes may be associated with alterations in the levels of central OT and DA, and their receptor mRNA expression in specific brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyong Wu
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China. .,Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Zhenzhen Song
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China.,Department of Animal Behavior, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fadao Tai
- Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, Shaanxi, China. .,Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA.
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47
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Abstract
The diversity of mating systems among animals is astounding. Importantly, similar mating systems have evolved even across distantly related taxa. However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these convergently evolved phenotypes is limited. Here, we examine on a genomic scale the neuromolecular basis of social organization in cichlids of the tribe Ectodini from Lake Tanganyika. Using field-collected males and females of four closely related species representing two independent evolutionary transitions from polygyny to monogamy, we take a comparative transcriptomic approach to test the hypothesis that these independent transitions have recruited similar gene sets. Our results demonstrate that while lineage and species exert a strong influence on neural gene expression profiles, social phenotype can also drive gene expression evolution. Specifically, 331 genes (∼6% of those assayed) were associated with monogamous mating systems independent of species or sex. Among these genes, we find a strong bias (4:1 ratio) toward genes with increased expression in monogamous individuals. A highly conserved nonapeptide system known to be involved in the regulation of social behavior across animals was not associated with mating system in our analysis. Overall, our findings suggest deep molecular homologies underlying the convergent or parallel evolution of monogamy in different cichlid lineages of Ectodini.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather E. Machado
- Department of Biology, Reed College
- Department of Biology, Stanford University
| | - Nina Duftner
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
| | - Anna K. Sessa
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
| | - Rayna M. Harris
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
| | - Hans A. Hofmann
- Department of Integrative Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, the University of Texas at Austin
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Institute for Neuroscience, the University of Texas at Austin
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48
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Kent M, Bell AM. Changes in behavior and brain immediate early gene expression in male threespined sticklebacks as they become fathers. Horm Behav 2018; 97:102-111. [PMID: 29117505 PMCID: PMC5771839 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Motherhood is a period of intense behavioral and brain activity. However, we know less about the neural and molecular mechanisms associated with the demands of fatherhood. Here, we report the results of two experiments designed to track changes in behavior and brain activation associated with fatherhood in male threespined stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a species in which fathers are the sole providers of parental care. In experiment 1, we tested whether males' behavioral reactions to different social stimuli depends on parental status, i.e. whether they were providing parental care. Parental males visited their nest more in response to social stimuli compared to nonparental males. Rates of courtship behavior were high in non-parental males but low in parental males. In experiment 2, we used a quantitative in situ hybridization method to compare the expression of an immediate early gene (Egr-1) across the breeding cycle - from establishing a territory to caring for offspring. Egr-1 expression peaked when the activities associated with fatherhood were greatest (when they were providing care to fry), and then returned to baseline levels once offspring were independent. The medial dorsal telencephalon (basolateral amygdala), lateral part of dorsal telencephalon (hippocampus) and anterior tuberal nucleus (ventral medial hypothalamus) exhibited high levels of Egr-1 expression during the breeding cycle. These results help to define the neural circuitry associated with fatherhood in fishes, and are consistent with the hypothesis that fatherhood - like motherhood - is a period of intense behavioral and neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Kent
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, United States
| | - Alison M Bell
- School of Integrative Biology, Program in Neuroscience, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, United States.
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49
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Cabrera-Álvarez MJ, Swaney WT, Reader SM. Forebrain activation during social exposure in wild-type guppies. Physiol Behav 2017; 182:107-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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50
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Mennigen JA, Volkoff H, Chang JP, Trudeau VL. The nonapeptide isotocin in goldfish: Evidence for serotonergic regulation and functional roles in the control of food intake and pituitary hormone release. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 254:38-49. [PMID: 28927876 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Nonapeptides are a highly conserved family of peptides synthesized in the neuroendocrine brain and acting on central and peripheral receptors to regulate physiological functions in vertebrates. While the evolution of the two gene families of oxytocin-like and vasopressin-like nonapeptides and their receptors, as well as the neuroanatomy of their independent neuronal circuits have been well-characterized across vertebrate species, comparative studies on the physiological roles across vertebrates are lagging behind. In the current study, we focused on the comparative neuroendocrine functions and regulation of isotocin, the teleost homologue of mammalian oxytocin. Specifically, we address the hypothesis that isotocin exerts opposing effects on food intake and reproduction, which are well-established effects of its homologue oxytocin in mammalian species. Using goldfish, a well-characterized model of neuroendocrine regulation of both food intake and reproduction, we here showed that isotocin acts as an anorexigenic factor while exerting stimulatory effects on pituitary luteinizing hormone and growth hormone release. Given the dual inhibitory and stimulatory roles of serotonin on food intake and pituitary release of reproductive hormone in goldfish, we also investigated the potential crosstalk between both systems using immunohistochemistry and pharmacological approaches. Results provide neuroanatomical and pharmacological evidence for serotonergic regulation of magnocellular isotocinergic neurons in the preoptic area and pituitary. Together, these findings firstly provide the basis to investigate neuroendocrine cross-talk between serotonergic and nonapeptidergic systems in the regulation of both food intake and reproduction in goldfish, and secondly point to a conserved function of oxytocin-like peptides in the differential neuroendocrine control of both physiological processes in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan A Mennigen
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Hélène Volkoff
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - John P Chang
- CW405 Biological Sciences Building, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Vance L Trudeau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
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